The Scars of the Past
by bunnylover94
Summary: "I love you Kaoru, but..." "But what?" "I'm not calm enough for you". Alex wants someone to love her, but she feels no one could ever deal with her anger. Kaoru loves her even with all of her anger, unexplained issues, and scars. But will his love be enough to break down her walls or will it crush the both of them. Sequel to 'Here the Dark Ladies Come'.
1. Chapter 1

*Author's Note: This is the sequel to Here the Dark Ladies Come. I'm sorry that I had to make you guys wait so long! But I was experiencing major writer's block…Please forgive me. Anyway here it is and I hope you enjoy it! Please don't forget to review!

Alex's POV

It only takes a minute to have something to turn absolutely tragic.

One moment, you are enjoying life the next you are in a hospital praying to God that your cousin will make it out of surgery.

Life sucks. It is as simple as that. There is no complicated mumbo-jumbo swirling in the universe, it is just one giant shitty pile of goop that hits everyone.

I was fuming massively while I was pacing a hole into the ground.

We had been in this fucking waiting room for over 3 hours and none of these goddamn doctors were telling anything that related to our Chrissy-Tia. Grandma had rushed back home to get all of our other family members here. Yah, that's so smart! Bring all of the lovely little kids to a hospital and showcase Chrissy-Tia's misery or quite possibly her…

_No don't even think about that! You know that Chrissy-Tia is a fighter! She wouldn't leave us like this…When I find out who did this, I am going to rip out their eyeballs and spoon feed them with 'em. Then rip them apart with my bare hands! _

"Alex, please", pleaded Eva. I turned to her. She was clutching onto Kyoya's hand like a freaking life preserver. He didn't seem to mind. _Must be nice to have someone cradle you and coddle you whenever you need it._

I wished for a half of a second that I could have what they have…_Whatever! I don't need anyone's love except my own._

"Please what? Are you asking me to be rational and behave? We both know how that's going to end Eva."

She sighed at me. We both knew that it was quite possible for me to turn primal any minute. Being caged, beaten and raped like a wild dog had a tendency to do that to your system especially when you were furious.

The monster inside of me desperately wanted me to come and attack everyone. But I fought it down. I only growled. Everyone (besides my nearest and dearest) seemed shocked by my primitive sound.

To say that I was pissed; would be the biggest understatement of the year.

I just wanted to physically abuse something. I could tell everyone was giving me room to "breathe and calm down". Forget that! I wasn't calming down.

I surprised everyone by flipping over the waiting table. Magazines flew in every which way. Juices and waters sloshed over their shoes.

"I won't calm down until she is out of this goddamn hospital, and once they have caught that son of a bitch who did this to her", I screamed.

They were all startled by my rage, but I really didn't care.

I stormed off. Not even caring if they followed, or talked behind my back about my "temper tantrum".

_They will never understand the depth of my rage. They have only seen my calm and creepy demeanor; and of course my occasional feeling of joy pops up. They have yet to see the true extent of how far my anger can go…_

Kaoru's P.O.V.

_I've never seen Alex so angry before…It's almost like she has been holding back her true self. I don't know what to make of it._

_I don't know what to make of her…_

_What did she mean to Eva when she said that?_

"I'm sorry about Alex"…

I turned to look at Eva.

"She often loses it from time to time".

"It's alright Princess, what did she mean when she said 'we both know how that's going to end'?"

Eva swallowed before she carefully said, "She had serious family issues prior to being adopted into our family. She was…"

Before Eva could finish saying what I really wanted to know about Alex. An older man barged into the waiting room.

"Is she alive?"

The man had a muscular frame, and a grizzled appearance. He had sharp hazel eyes and tan skin.

"Well hello to you too, Nikolai".

We all jumped and clutched our chests. We slowly turned and saw that their Grandma had just casually slunk in, without any of us being aware.

_Damn! That old woman is creepy! At least when Alex does that whole creeper-ninja move, it's kinda hot…Well actually strike that! Anything she does is pretty hot!_

_Maybe I could design some sort of cat suit for Alex…Kaoru! Stop thinking like that! Alex is way out of your league even with all of her unexplained issues and rage. You have broken too many girl's hearts. Lied and tricked so many people. Pranked all of the innocent…Ha! Ha! I don't regret doing those pranks though. Still Alex is way too amazing to look at me in that way. Plus she's always super quiet around me…_

Crash!

I jerked out of my inner musings.

"Damn it Aurora! It's your fault that this has happened!"

The older man was fuming at the Grandma. She merely narrowed her eyes in offense.

She calmly responded, "Be reasonable Nikolai. My presence here did not cause a breach with my mutual business friend. And it did not furthermore aim a bullet through Chrissy-Tia's abdomen to merely send a message to me and my business associates. Her wounds were the result of a coincidental side job of what her father has been doing with his political career to improve the world and mend some severed ties with our enemies. So Chrissy-Tia's wounds are not my business' fault".

_Every time she says business, she says it too matter-of-factly. Her 'business' sounds fake. I wonder if I'm the only one who suspects this._

I looked over to the other Hosts and saw Kyoya's glasses flash. Hikaru's eyes narrowed. Mori-Sempai's fists tightened. Honey looked thoughtful. Tamaki even looked a bit suspicious. Haruhi looked a bit pissed off.

"Yeah right! Of course you deflect the fault, because as always you are the innocent little old woman", the old man known as Nikolai rebutted.

"How could this possibly be my bad, when my company's objective was to contact and deliver a message to a Mr. Ootori?"

"How convenient for you! An alibi for your absence, while Chrissy-Tia got shot by a dark figure…You shouldn't even call yourself a grandmother, much less a good person!"

"You bastard! I'm always there for my grandchildren and my children…"

"You are such a fucking liar Grandma! When was the last time you sat down and listened to us? And I'm not talking about over the phone or Skype. I'm talking about you actually hanging around us physically and being there for us…. Nope I thought not. I'm so sick of you and our parents assuming that the world is full of nothing but magical fairies…Forget this! I'm going to go back home and pack up", hollered Brandon-Lee.

"Why are you going home to pack?"

"Isn't it obvious? I'm leaving and you can't do a damn thing to stop me!"

"You can bet your ass I will!"

Brandon-Lee just shook his head at her. "Sorry. You can't and won't be able to stop me from doing what I want to do. You are a pathetic excuse for a woman! You couldn't save your own daughter from being abused by her husband; you couldn't tell you own children apart…that's sad…Why don't you care about anyone else? You weren't there for any of our births, hospitalizations, holiday celebrations, and school events. Why were you never there for any of us?! You are always disappearing into the thin air…Can you tell me why?' He paused for a moment to stare at the older woman with almost a hopeful expression.

'…Yeah typical Grandma, can't even answer the simplest questions without giving away your great big mystery. I'm done with this! I'm done with you! Goodbye G-ma! It's been fun!"

Brandon-Lee stepped out of the waiting room and went out the door.

_Dang! I never expected that!_

"Brandon-Lee Karmazin! Come right back here right now! I'm tired of dealing with your punk attitude! I'm tired of dealing with all of this…"

"What are going to do stop him?"

I whirled around and saw Zackary shaking his head.

His almond-colored eyes narrowed, "You have no right to come here and start preaching to us about our attitude when you are the one who has all the issues…I'm sorry that you are a terrible guardian. I agree with Brandon-Lee 100%! You were never there for us. Why would I be there for you?"

_Is this national "Attack Your Grandma Day"? Hmm…I'm sensing some hostility in the room._

He picked up his Nike gym bag and exited out of the waiting room into the hallway to follow after Brandon-Lee.

The fraternal twins came up to Grandma.

"We find you to be at fault for causing your grandchildren and children pain and suffering…" started Scarlett.

"…so we are all leaving you to head back to America. We don't want to deal with your shit anymore", finished Sebastian.

They both stomped out of the waiting room.

"Well I'd like to think that the children have all made up their minds about your worthless ass! Come on Ryder! Come on Jeremiah! Come on Carlos! Come on Grayson! Come on Isaiah! Come on Annabelle! Let's go! I'm taking you all home, so we can pack all of our stuff and leave tonight for America", stated Grandpa Karmazin.

"Grandpa, wait for me!" Makenna shouted.

The old man's eyes crinkled and said, "Of course. I would never forget about you!"

"Why are you all leaving?!"

Makenna's eyes glowed in a Chrissy-Tia fashion as she stated, "We don't want to watch anybody else get hurt by a bad guy Grandma, but don't worry I still love you with all of my 6 year old heart!"

She grabbed her Grandpa's hand as he ushered the triplets into their stroller and made sure that the other were staying close to him.

Once he got to the door, he stopped and said, "It's not too late for the rest of you to come with us".

"I'll think about it Grandpa", said B.J.

Kendall-Lynn and Chloe shouted in unison, "We're staying here to keep an eye on Chrissy-Tia!"

Emi stood up and surprised everyone by saying, "I think I speak for everyone, when I say we are staying. Japan feels safer than America ever was. I have to be here when Chrissy-Tia wakes up…I can't just up and leave her like all of you guys are doing. Just because she is in a hospital, doesn't mean that she's dead. The Host Club will help us, because they are like family and they love Chrissy-Tia as much as we do".

_Wow! That's the longest I've ever heard her speak! I'm shocked that she loves our country that much. Then again from what I've heard about Eva's past of being abused by her own father! It would make sense that Emi would prefer a place away from all the pain…_

"…Well if you change your minds…Just call me and I will pay for your one-way ticket back to the great U.S. of A", he said.

He swung the door open and departed with all of the kids in tow.

"I think I need a moment or two", whispered their Grandma. She ran out of the waiting room.

An ominous silence wafted over us for a couple of awkward moments, until…

"Do you really think that the Host Club is like a second family Princess?"

We turned to look at Emi for her response. She looked thoughtful for a couple of moments.

_She is beautiful…in a perfect model sort of way. Her glowing caramel skin, her fit curves, and her constantly shiny black and blonde would make even Beyoncé jealous. However, I still prefer Alex, because she is naturally and subtly beautiful. I have been surrounded by models all of my life, and I have to say sculpted perfection annoys me._

"I appreciate how you guys care for my fellow sisters and my cousins, because no one at our old schools have ever genuinely cared about our feelings and who we are underneath of all of the fancy stuff we have. It's refreshing to have someone care about us like we are normal people", she said with a soft smile.

Tamaki's eyes widened, "Oh! My sister cares so much about her family and her older brother!"

He crushed her with his signature bear hug.

"Tamaki! Get off of me!"

_Hopefully we will all feel better by the end of the week…I hope Alex will feel better and talk to me…I mean us. Why would she ever want to talk to me? I'm just plain old Kaoru! _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Couple of Sweet Moments between Lovers

Nicole's POV

~Around the Same Time~

~At the Kasanoda Yakuza Residence~

Let me tell you I have never been one of those girls that just planned out their wedding detail for years with their little Barbie dolls or those big-ass Bratz dolls. Man! Those dolls sure had some big noggins...What was I talking about?

_Oh! Yeah! Ritsu my loving boo! He is the most amazing person on the face of the planet_! _I love him so much! It's so funny how the tables have flipped where I am the lovesick girl, and not the cynical bitch that I am known to be…_

_He will be mine, before the summer starts…God he is soooooooo sexy with his serious expression, his medium-length red hair, and his sweet nature…Awww I can't wait to marry him! _

I turned to Ritsu to just stare at his awesomeness. I blushed when I saw that he was looking at me as well. He blushed when he noticed the intensity of my gaze.

_Did I mention that I love his blush? He is seriously the most handsome man around…And I say man, because he is waaayyyy more mature than a certain blonde idiot *cough* Tamaki *cough*. What? It's the truth…I will feel sorry when Haruhi has to date that idiot…Please we all know that Hikaru doesn't stand a fighting chance at winning Haruhi's heart. Haruhi is in love with Tamaki, even if she doesn't realize it. _

Ritsu pulled me out of my thoughts by laying his hand on my cheek. _Jesus Christ…This boy is way too much for me! Doesn't he know that his touch is making it harder for me to not jump all over him and give over to my sexual desires. He is making me want to rip off all of our clothes, and force me to take both of our virginities away. _

I let out a very feminine sigh. He smirked at me evilly. _That bastard does know what he is doing to me! But will he be able to withstand what I have planned for him… _

I leaned over to him and started tracing the outline of his neck. He started to purr… I kid you not. He actually purred.

_Only the men in steamy hot romance novels do that. Not that I read hot romance novels….I swear I only looked at the cover…Okay I actually opened the cover and read it all the way to the end happy? _

_It would be sweeter if we were alone…_

Ritsu's dad was sitting across from us…smirking.

_That old bastard is just like his hot, but troublesome son._

I looked around the dinner table and saw that all of the Kasanoda Yakuza members were gawking at us. I didn't care, because I'm the type of girl who would respect a guy who is all about PDA.

"Hey if you guys are going to act like that, you might as well as go to the bedroom", murmured Ritsu's dad. I stiffened at his statement.

_Gee whiz… He is the exact opposite of my dear ole Grandpa…My Grandpa would have just booted me out to fend for myself on the streets for staring at Ritsu like that._

I smirked and replied, "So did you like the little show, Pops?"

The Yakuza men around the table started to choke on their soba noodles. I felt Ritsu stiffen. Tension filled the room.

_Probably because people normally didn't speak to the Yakuza boss man like that. Nice going, Nicole! You're supposed to be making a good impression on his father, not disrespecting him…Me and my big mouth._

The old man blanched and stiffened, before he started chuckling uncontrollably. "Ha! Ha! Ha! I'd like to…What's the American expression? I'd like plead the fifth."

I widened my eyes in surprise. I never had an elder appreciate my crude way with words. They usually lost their tempers after five seconds with me…_Especially_ _my father_…_No I am not going to ever deal with a physically abusive asshole like that again…I've never had anyone who has appreciated my bluntness._

_But huh. What do you know? My big mouth proved to be useful for once._

"So would prefer us to continue our little display of affection somewhere a little more private?" I asked.

The old man just smiled at me. "Go ahead. You are only young once."

I turned over to Ritsu. He was redder than Clifford the Red Dog.

"C'mon Ritsu babe. Let's head over to your suite for some smooching".

His eyes widened comically. I giggled. I kid you not. If you tell anyone that I did it, I will come for you.

I dragged out of the dining hall. Ignoring the incredulous looks of the Yakuza men we passed. I even ignored a smirking Tetsuya…I was so getting the bastard back later.

We FINALLY reached Ritsu's room in one piece.

I plopped down on his bed unceremoniously. I played around with the edge of his bed, hoping he would get the hint that I was bored and needed entertainment…He did.

His lips crashed into mine. I wound my arms around his neck. We came into each other rapidly. I laid down on my back, watching him while he loomed over me like a fierce predator. His eyes burned into mine with warm desire streaming out of them. I licked my lips hoping to calm down the wave of heat that started to course through my body. He noticed my action and growled. He lunged for my mouth and began to tame my lips.

I felt him tracing the outline of my body through my layers of clothes. I jerked upwards at his core…He was very hard and ready for me…_God help me! I want him inside of me now! _

"Rrrrrrrrrrrr", my phone went off. _Shit! Just when it was getting exciting too!_

Ritsu swore under his breath in Japanese.

I grabbed for the phone and pressed the button to answer the call. I pressed the speaker button to hear whoever the fuck was calling me a little more clearly.

"What?" Ritsu just pulled away from me and flopped on the other side of me waiting patiently for this stupid conversation to be over.

"…Hey Nicole. I need to tell you about Chrissy-Tia's condition…" Eva started.

A sense of dread ran through my body. _Had it happened already? _Ritsu tensed beside and got up and put his hand on top of mine.

"What the hell happened Eva?"

~Time Skip~

Wednesday December 13th

4:45 pm

~At the Ouran Campus~

Kendall-Lynn's POV

_I never thought that this would happen to my big sis…I hoped that she would never have to be in a coma…_

_**~Flashback~**_

"**What's the news about Chrissy-Tia's condition Doctor-San?" asked Eva. **

**Eva's eyes were red from crying hard and her hand was holding on to Kyoya's for dear life. Kyoya looked at his fiancé with compassionate eyes.**

**I looked around the room and saw the Host Club's faces become white as a sheet as if preparing for the worst…**_**That's not how Chrissy-Tia**__**have**__**would wanted us to react to her predicament. She would have wanted us to think positively…Wait! Why I am I using the past tense? Shame on me! She is still alive! I can sense it!**_

"**Well, Manger-San, your cousin Chrysanthemum-Tia Karmazin has survived surgery…"**

**Joyous chaos exploded throughout the waiting room.**

"**When will we be able to see Tia-Chan?"**

"**Yes! I too am ready to see our beloved Princess alive and well. She deserves mountains of chocolates and flowers for her long agonizing surgery and her retching bullet incident…" babbled on a certain blonde king.**

"**Will Tia-Sempai be able to leave this hospital soon?"**

"**When will she be able to get out of this dump…" started Hikaru**

"…**and go home?" finished Kaoru**

"…**Yeah" **_**Geez talk about a man of few words. **_

"**Yeah we want to see her now!" chorused my remaining family members.**

**The Doctor sweated profusely and muttered, "Why did I have to get stuck with the rich, spoiled Ouran kids?"**

**Kyoya's glasses glinted as he said, "Just remember that one of these particular rich kids keeps you from starving on the street Doctor Tetsu. Now if you want to keep this exulted career of yours, I suggest you start telling us about the status of Chrissy-Tia's condition".**

**We all sweat dropped at Kyoya's harsh words. **_**Leave it to Kyoya to get us back on track with his creepy Shadow King persona. **_**He turned over to me and he smirked at me. Then he turned back to the doctor. **_**Did he just? There's no way he… **_**He looked at me again while flashing his glasses… **_**Ah! He truly does have mind-reading abilities! **_

**Doctor Tetsu shook in a Chihuahua way. "Well the patient is currently in a semi-vegetated state, which means she is currently nonresponsive to normal stimuli…" **

"**Could you speak in plain Japanese Doc? Not all of us have our M.D. s like you do", stated two in sync red doppelgangers. **

"**He is saying that Chrissy-Tia is in semi-coma and is currently not responding to what's going on in the real world. I'm surprised that you two need me to break it down for you like you both are little five year olds. Thank you Doctor. You may go about your rounds." Kyoya coolly stated. **_**Only Kyoya could pull off being a smug bastard without being full blown asshole.**_

**The Doctor bowed quickly. "Yes Ootori-san". **_**I felt a blast of sarcasm. Are doctors even allowed to be sarcastic to their employers?**_

**The Doctor briskly walked away muttering something about meddling kids. **_**What is he? Some kind of wannabe Scooby Doo villain? **_

"**Eva needs to go home and get some real rest. C'mon Eva, let's go. My limo is waiting outside for us", he added.**

**Eva swung her head toward Kyoya. "Kyoya, I am fine. I just need a…"**

**Kyoya interrupted her with a soft kiss. He separated from her, rested his forehead on hers, and sweetly said, "I know you don't want to abandon her, but you need to sleep and go back to school tomorrow. I love you Eva and I need to care for your basic needs."**

**Eva blushed and said a meek, "Okay".**

**He led her away from the waiting room. **_**Wow! Look at sweet Kyoya! **_

**Tamaki gushed. "Look at mommy loving his girlfriend". **

**The twins sweat dropped. "Um. Boss you should probably stop referring him to as our mommy. It's creepy." **_**I hate to think along those lines, but yeah it does sound weird. Those devil twins have a valid point, but then they always do. **_

"**Yeah Sempai it's a little off putting", deadpanned Haruhi. Tamaki ran into a corner to cultivate…bacon? I sweat dropped. **_**I didn't even think that was possible, but with Tamaki around who knows?**_

**Tamaki whirled around on them. "Who are you calling creepy?"**

"**Ha! You are a big creeper!" they chanted.**

**Smoke began pouring out of Tamaki's mouth.**

"**So B.J.-chan, Keiko-chan, Chloe-chan, Kendall-chan, and Emi-chan do you guys need a ride?" asked a sweet Honey. **_**Ha! Ha! Get it 'cause honey is sweet...Never mind I'll stick to my day job.**_

"**Thank you so much Honey-Sempai!" exclaimed B.J. **

"**That would be much appreciated Sempai", said Emi.**

**Chloe smiled at him softly and ruffled his hair. **

"**Yes please!" I shouted. **_**Yeah! A free limo ride!**_

"**As long as we get to the house soon, so my dark sister and I can create some dark magic together", replied Keiko. **_**I'm still not used to her strange way with words, but I am trying to get used to it. Besides she is a sweet girl who is just being herself. **_

**The Hosts blanched for a bit. They were slowly getting used to having her around…Which was good for what was coming.**

"**Wait! How is Haruhi going to get home?" asked B.J.**

**The duo of idiots froze. **_**Oh. No.**_

"**My beautiful daughter shall go with her father!"**

"**She is my toy, so she will come with me and Kaoru…Along with Alex". **_**How considerate of you Hikaru. **_

"**Thanks for the offer Hikaru, but I'm staying here for the night", entered a familiar voice. We jumped three feet up in the air, except for Mori who just massively sweat dropped. **_**Is that who I think it is?**_

"**Jesus. Alex stop doing that! You are going to give me a heart attack!" shouted Emi. She whirled around to face Hikaru and Tamaki. They cringed at her evident hostility.**

"**As for you idiots, neither of you are going to take Haruhi home! She is spending the night with us. So Honey-Sempai do you mind taking all of us home?" Tamaki and Hikaru pouted. **

"**No problem Emi-chan! Alex-chan, do you need a ride?"**

**She shook her head. "No someone has to stay here and watch over Chrissy-Tia". **

"**Alex. Can I stay with you and help?" I asked. **

**She swallowed hard. "No go home Kendall-Lynn".**

"**What about Grandma?" Chloe asked.**

**Alex's emerald eyes had a flat look. "She left like she always does. So go home. All of you." She pointedly looked at Kaoru.**

~Back to the Present~

_I am surprised about her reaction whenever she is around… OH. MY. CHEESE. AND. POTATOES. She likes Kaoru! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! I'm so hooking them up big time!____They would be the ultimate cute couple! _

_Whoa! I am thinking about hooking up somebody, while Chrissy-Tia is in a coma? Aren't I a saint?_

_I am going to miss my family…No don't think about them right now. I will be alright as long as-_

"Oof!" I looked up. I saw that I crashed into a set of windows. _I might as well look inside, since I am here. _

There was blue mats that covered the floor. Inside there was a huge group of guys. They were punching in a synchronized motion. They were all wearing white karate uniforms with various belt colors. They were each handsome and strong boys, but one stood out from the rest. He had light brown hair, a black belt, and glasses that hid his eyes. He had this air about him, like nothing would ever get in his way. It made me feel drawn to him like a moth to a flame.

My body began to walk towards the gym's entrance of its' own free will. I don't know why, but I kept moving towards the boy. I did nothing to stop my body. I doubt I could have if I tried.

I opened the door. The sun was bright that day for some reason. It made me shine brighter than a disco ball. Once I stepped inside, all the eyes swung toward me. I knew that I was pretty, so it was only natural for them to stare. There was only one pair of eyes that I wanted to see. But sadly his eyes were hidden by the glare of his glasses.

His voice was like a jolt of electricity that recharged me during my worst day. "What are you doing here? No one is allowed in this gym, except for those in the Martial Arts Club. So leave."

_I have never been denied anything before by any guy…He is definitely going to be mine._

"I'm sorry…I didn't quite catch your name." I said smoothly.

"My name is Yasuchika Haninozuka. And I am the captain of this club. And I want to leave now". _Haninozuka! Is he related to Honey-Sempai somehow? I shouldn't worry about that, unless I absolutely have to._

His demeanor at first glance seemed cold. But if someone glanced a little harder, then anyone would notice that he was blushing. I knew that I was affecting him with my presence, and I loved his reaction. _I have never seen a boy restrain himself from me before. I want to continue to be around him._

"You are not a member of this club. You don't know anything about martial arts, so…" he started.

"Will you teach me then?" I interjected. The confusion on his face was adorable.

"What?" Yasuchika asked.

"I'm sorry. Will you please teach me martial arts, since you are the most qualified?"

He stood in shock for a moment. "No. I don't think I want to."

The peanut gallery started to squirm and shout.

"Hey I'll teach you sugar!"

"I'll show my moves beautiful".

"C'mon baby! I'll work you out!"

A few other lame pickup lines were hollered at me, before I had enough.

"I appreciate the offers gentlemen, and I want each of you to show me your moves. But I need to learn the basics. That's why it would be wise for Chika-kun to teach me the beginners' martial arts, before I move on to the advanced set."

For some odd reason, all of the boys had hearts swirling around in their eyes.

Even Yasuchika had a tinge of blush on his stoic cheeks, before he hid it away. "Very well. I will teach you the basics, but learning martial arts is not something useful for a girl."

I thought about Chrissy-Tia laying on that hospital bed in a coma recovering from a bullet wound. _Girls do need to protect themselves, so they can be ready for anything to happen. If Chrissy-Tia had learned some form of martial arts, maybe she be up and about instead being a vegetable. Everyone deserves to learn how to fight to protect themselves and survive. _

"I am sorry, but you are wrong Chika-kun. I think it is important for a girl to learn martial arts. So when do we begin?"

He seemed thoughtful. "…Now."

_So my martial arts training begins._


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I'm sorry…This chapter was hard for me to write, but it really shines a light on Alex's past and why she is the person she is today.

Chapter 3: A Day of Nightmares

Alex's POV

At the Hospital

After School Hours

Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Chrissy-Tia's monitor went at a creeping snail's pace. Quite frankly, it was bugging the hell out of me. I wanted her to wake up…I needed her to help me with what I was struggling with…

I had been staying in this hospital room for the past few days…It wasn't hard to stay away from the nurses and doctors, all I had to do was to hide in the bathroom for a bit whenever a nurse came to check on her.

I sat beside her bed. Her breathing was so quiet, you had to bend down to her chest to hear it.

_She is the only one who could help me face my memories…and the nightmares…Especially the ones with my father. _

"Chrissy, please wake up…I need you. Now! We all need you. It's been a fucking mess, since you've gone under. Grandpa left with most of our cousins and siblings. Grandma's disappeared. Eva's crying more than usual. Kendall-Lynn and Nicole are leaving all the time to who knows where. The Host Club keep bugging us. B.J. is really depressed. Emi is blowing up on everyone! Chloe doesn't talk as much. B.R. and L.L. keep hiding away in their rooms. Jasmine is crying constantly…Everyone is taking what happened to you in a negative manner…But I can't say that I blame them…I'm pissed off that you were hurt…'

'You have been the only person who understands me. I need you to wake up! I need you to keep me normal. Without you here, I'm just a big freak…I know that I'm all messed up in the head…You are the only real family member who help me rein in my anger! You're the only one who knows how bad the abuse really got. Eva and everyone else only know half the story.

'Don't you remember what you told me long ago? You said that you would always save me from the nightmares and I would protect you from all the bullies and bad guys. We made a blood oath to one another, remember? I know that I have failed you! Please, forgive me! I shouldn't have been dancing with Kaoru! I should have been looking out for your safety!"

I looked up at her face. She was still unconscious. I felt my eye lids gush in a landslide of tears. My grip on her hand tightened, if she had been conscious she would have grunted in pain.

"Chrissy-Tia! Wake up! If you don't wake up! I'll. Tear. This. Stupid. Room. Apart. Do you hear me?"

_She was the first person that I let in! She never let me down! She accepted me for who I am! She loved me unconditionally! She was always there for me! Until today…I feel like she too has abandoned me…_

_ But this isn't her fault! The one thing we can never control is what life throws at us. She was shot by a dirt-bag!_

_ I will not let this go! I will find him and make him pay for hurting her! The man will die by my hand! This isn't my first time taking a life…_

I could almost smell the smoke from the house fire that I had started so long ago…I could hear the pathetic screams of the monsters who had literally ruined me in every way possible. I started to see the flames and the cages that had haunted me for so long!

I shook my head violently to rid myself of the past. _I will not think about_ _that…I can't be distracted by my past right now! Chrissy-Tia needs to know my oath to protect her hasn't changed. _

I leaned down to her hand and gave it a gentle kiss. "Chrissy-Tia, I'm sorry that I couldn't protect you from getting shot, but I promise you that I won't rest until I have taken the shooter down. I won't let you die! You are my friend! You are my cousin! You are my sister! You told me that we were going to be related in all those ways when we met! Remember that you are the one who let me into your world, so I owe you this much! You were my light that led me out of the dark."

_I remember that day like it was yesterday…_

_** It was 3 years ago. I was in a foster home. Nothing too glamourous. I was an outcast… I was much creepier back then. I dressed the part as well. Along with my freakish growth spurts, I was long and lanky in a disgusting way. Let's not forget my scars and burns… To be honest I brought the "bullying" to myself…If only I had dressed nicer! I wouldn't have had to deal with all of that "bullying" crap!**_

"**Hey look guys, it's the bride of Frankenstein!" shouted a new voice. **

_**Did I forget to mention that their way of "bullying" was to bring a new friend over to the house and make them try to crack my composure…Even though they never saw me get angry, it still hurt me…After all words hurt more than anything else.**_

** I looked up to see the kids I lived with. They were hanging out with their friends. **_** I guess that they thought they were so cool…Please with those fake durags, they looked like a bunch of pathetic of wannabe gangsters. **_

__**"Oh. Really? This coming from the 2Pac groupie? Bravo. That is so clever."**

** The guy blanched. He gave me the finger. "Fuck you! You look like you walked out of the 'Nightmare on Elm Street' Ms. Freddy Krueger!"**

** I clapped slowly. "Awwww. You. Are. Adorable. I've heard that one from a bunch of elementary students from across the street. Well then do you want to come for you next?"**

** He paled as much as his dark mocha skin would allow. **

** "Oh? You didn't know that I have the ability to enter your dreams and make you die? I then make your apartment burn down along with everyone you live with."**

** "That isn't true! You're lying to Quinn!" shouted one of my fellow foster care roomies. **

** I clicked my tongue and looked at my nails disinterested.**__**"I** **guess none** **of you heard about what happened to Jamal…"**

** They all paled at this.**

** "But Jamal…"**

** "…died in a…"**

** "…house fire…"**

** "…with his family…"**

** "…They never found the culprit…" **

** I smiled cruelly at them. "Very good. Now you've connected the dots. Do you want to stay and find out if the same can happen to you?"**

** They looked at me with fearful eyes, then turned and ran away like cowards.**

** "Let's runaway while we still can!"**

** "The Red Demon is going to get us".**

_**I don't know why or how they came up with that nickname. I could have come up with something far more clever than that. **_

_**Of course, I didn't have that horrible power. But it made my life less troublesome. Most people didn't take the time to look past my scary appearance and my creepy demeanor…I didn't think that anyone could, but I was wrong!**_

__**I walked up to the run-down apartment that I lived in with other foster kids. I took out my key. I had planned to go to my room and read manga, but fate had other ideas for me.**

** "Hey Alex!"**

** I turned to look at my foster parent. I'm not even sure to this day if it was a woman or a man.**

**It smiled at me. "Someone is here to see you".**

_**See me? No one ever asks to see me. In my six years of living here in this Bronx neighborhood, all of the potential parents take one look at me and take off screaming for the hills. Or they read my file and they know that they don't have the patience for my issues. I've been practically living in the juvenile system when I'm not here. **_

_**I'm not easy to open up to either! I'm brutal all around. I'm blunt. I have a massive temper. Most importantly, I have major trust issues around all types of people, especially men. **_

"**Hello. How are you this afternoon?" I spun around to see a medium sized girl with two side braids. She had deep blue eyes that seemed to see right into your soul. She had a long sleeve black shirt with ruffles and a white knee-length skirt. **

_**Is she trying to look like a nun without the habit? **_

"**My name is Chrysanthemum-Tia Karmazin. I want to be your sister, cousin, and best friend. Will you let me?" She smiled angelically at me. **

_**Who does this chick think she is? That she can just waltz in here and dazzle me into letting her into my existence? **_

**I gave this prep girl a blank look. "I don't think so". **

**Her smile didn't falter, it widened. **_**What is with this girl? Is she brain damaged? Or something? **_

"**Well you should", she said.**

**My green eyes narrowed. "No offense girly, but it would be a big waste of time for you to adopt me. Much less hang around me."**

**She cocked her head to side. "Why?"**

_**How could she not see everything that's wrong with me? Can't she see how filthy I am? **_

"**Because…Well look at me! I'm freakishly tall! My proportions are all messed up. I'm flatter than a cutting board. I look like I walked out of a horror movie! I have scars and burns everywhere. I make the Phantom of the Opera look like Ryan Gosling!" **

_**I can't believe that I said all of that to a complete stranger! **_

**I looked up to apologize and play it off. I saw the girl-er Chrysanthemum-Tia lift up her left long sleeve to reveal a deep scar… **_**What? I didn't expect her of all people to have a scar! **_

**She kept lifting up her sleeve. Her scar seemed to stretch up further and further. I felt my eyes widen in shock how far is it seemed to go.**

**I gulped. "How far…"**

"…**does it go?"**

**I could only nod. **

"**It goes all the way to my back and to my feet".**

**To say that I was amazed would be an understatement. I could feel myself slowly opening up to her. **

"**So what do you do for fun Alexandria?" **

**My eyes popped out of head. **_**Did she just read my mind or something? **_

"**How do you know my name?"**

**This girl merely giggled. "I asked your lovely foster parent!" **_**Oh that foster parent of mine is adorable all right! Adorably annoying.**_

"**By the way, I think your name is awesome!"**

**I smirked. "That isn't the only awesome thing about me."**

That's how we met.

"Oh Chrissy-Tia! I need you now! I wish you had actually been my real sister. Compared to my biological family, you guys are saints."

I felt the dark memories of the past pull me down. _No! No!_

**My father had left me in a cage again, because I had bit him while he was punishing me for not playing the game correctly.**

**I remember wincing from his beating. **

**I whimpered like a puppy and licked my arms, hoping like hell my wounds would get better.**

"**You should know better than that you little piece of shit!"**

**I started to shake at arrival of my father's voice. **

**I heard him approach my cage. I ran to the far back corner. He opened the door and reached for me. He violently pulled me out of my hiding place. **

"**Now, come on. We are gonna play a little game", he slurred.**

**He slowly unbuttoned his shirt. He zipped his pants down. I started to cry uncontrollably. I hated this game. I hated the way my father treated me. Like I was some kind of trophy! Like I was his potty!**

**I prayed to God to take me away from this horrible place. I prayed that there was a family out there who would love me. I prayed that He would save me from what was about to come…but he didn't. He never did. **

"**Now, I need you to please me this time. You don't want me to punish you again do you?"**

Tears ran down my cheeks. I wasn't saved by God. _He is just a commercial deity. He doesn't exist. There are no such things as miracles. I got out of that hell by myself. I took care of those tormentors…_

"Alex?"

I turned around in my chair. Kaoru stood in the doorway. His beautiful amber eyes looked at me with concern. _What is Kaoru doing here?_

Kaoru's POV

I took in Alex. She had bags under her eyes. Her glamourous emerald eyes had bloodshot rings. She had tears running down her face.

"Hold on! Let me go get you something." I ran to the bathroom and grabbed some tissue.

I came back. She was staring at me warily.

"I got you some tissue." I handed it to her. She winced at my touch. _Yeah. I should get the hint that she doesn't like me._

"Sorry. I know you don't like me touching you."

An awkward silence stretched out between us. _Crap! Why did I say anything!_

"I-t isn't y-oo-urrr fault. I had a bad experience with a…guy, so now everyone who touches me makes me wince". _Oh! I still have a chance! Yesss! Wait! SOMEONE HURT MY ALEX-ER I MEAN ALEX! I WILL BEAT THAT GUY DOWN! _

"I hope that jerk got what's coming to him."

She looked at me in shock. "What do you mean?"

"I hope he got hurt. I really hope he got hit by a train or something as equally painful."

She averted her eyes from me and bit her lip. "Why would you want something terrible to happen to him?"

"Because he hurt you and anyone who hurts you deserves to get hurt ten-fold", I vowed.

She swung her eyes back to me. "I like you Kaoru!"

_What?! She likes me! I have to be dreaming! Any minute now Hikaru will kick me off the bed. Let me prove it! _

I pinched myself. _Ouch!_ _Okay this is definitely not a dream!_

"Can you repeat what you just said?"

"I believe you heard me correctly. The question is what are willing to do about it Kaoru?"


End file.
